1. Field
The present invention relates to a method and system for changing the state of charge (SOC) segments of an indicator at non-linear rates with respect to a change in an SOC and more particularly to a method and system for increasing or decreasing the number of the segments in an on state more slowly when the SOC is in a high or a low range than when the SOC is in a middle range.
2. Description of the Related Art
With global energy prices rapidly increasing, a user of a vehicle having a rechargeable battery is increasingly interested in evaluating, based on an SOC indicator of the vehicle, the charging capacity of the vehicle, the life of the battery and the distance a full SOC would enable the vehicle to travel. In order to improve the user's experience and satisfaction with the vehicle, manufacturers have sought novel ways to encourage the user to charge the vehicle more frequently. For example, a vehicle in the industry has employed an indicator which provides segments or lights corresponding to the current SOC of the vehicle. As the SOC increases or decreases, the number of the segments in an on state increases or decreases accordingly at a linear rate with respect to a change in power amount or percentage of the SOC.
A drawback of linearly changing the number of the segments in an on state has been that the user loses confidence in the charging capacity of the vehicle when the user fully charges the vehicle to reach a high-SOC range and notices that the number of segments in an on state decreases at a rapid rate upon using the vehicle. Another drawback of linearly changing the number of the segments in an on state is that the user may not have adequate notice to recharge the battery because the number of the low-SOC segments in an on-state decrease as rapidly (i.e., when the SOC or energy is increased or decreased by a smaller amount or percentage) as the number of the SOC segments in an on state decrease in the middle-SOC range (the SOC segments between the low-SOC and the high-SOC segments).
Thus, there is a need for a method and a system directed to increasing or decreasing the SOC segments at varying non-linear rates in order to instill confidence in the user regarding the charging capacity of the vehicle and the life of the battery and to encourage the user to charge the vehicle more frequently. Furthermore, there is a need for a method and a system directed to increasing or decreasing the number of the segments in an on state more slowly when the SOC is a high range or a low range than when the SOC is in a middle range to achieve the objectives set forth above. There is yet another need for a method and a system directed to displaying a full SOC when the SOC of the vehicle is above a certain threshold in order to provide confidence in the life of the battery and the charging capacity of the vehicle.